SOIL QUALITY MONITORING FOR HYDROSEEDING NEEDS ON THE SECTION OF THE E-75 HIGHWAY, CORRIDOR 10

Abstract

The paper presents the results of testing the chemical and physical soil properties for the hydroseeding needs on the section of the E-75 highway, Corridor 10, Gornje polje-Caričina dolina. The tests were performed in the laboratory of the Department of Agricultural and Food Studies in Prokuplje, on 12 average soil samples in 2020 and on 13 average soil samples in 2021. There were analyzed the chemical properties: pH values in H₂O and in 1M KCl, humus by Kotzmann method, total nitrogen calculated from humus, readily available potassium and phosphorus by AL method, and CaCO₃ content was determined volumetric, by Schäibler calcimeter. Physical properties were analyzed: water content in the form of mass fraction in soil (SRPS ISO 11465:2002) and mechanical composition of soil by pipette method with preparation of samples with sodium pyrophosphate and classification of texture classes according to ISSS, Baize (1993). The obtained results show that the examined soils are weakly acidic to moderately alkaline reaction in H₂O and moderately acidic to alkaline reaction in 1M KCl, very low content of humus and total nitrogen and weakly carbonate on all analyzed samples. The soils are low to medium supplied with easily accessible potassium and very low provided with easily accessible phosphorus. The water content in the form of mass fraction in the soil is used to translate the results of air-dry samples into the result expressed on the mass of dry soil. Heavy clay to sandy loam dominates by texture classes in the analyzed soils.